How Long Should Your Couples Holiday Really Last?

‘The first holiday with your partner can be make or break, but that doesn’t mean you’re the next statistic. Far from it…’

When should you go away, where to and for how long are just some of the decisions you’ll need to make before booking that all important trip.

To help with these choices, alpharooms have surveyed the British public on their first holiday with a partner.

5-7 days is the ideal amount of time for your first couples holiday

Over 32% of the people surveyed went away for a week on their first holiday with their partner, with the largest group staying in the UK to test their newfound relationship. Additionally, 35% believe that the ideal amount of time to go away is 5-7 days.

Caroline Brealey, the founder of London dating agency, Mutual Attraction, also believes that a long holiday can prove worthwhile: “The key thing about a holiday is that you relax and your true personality comes out. You create memories together and strengthen the bond between you both. A holiday is a great way for you both to step away from the realities of real life and spend quality time together – away from alarms, work and family stress etc.”

Ladies, you get on your man’s nerves more than they get on yours

When it comes to what stresses people out most about going on holiday together, 13% said their partner. Yikes! And when we looked closer, 8% of those were men and only 5% were women. So, ladies, it appears you’re more annoying to your man then he is to you. Interestingly, 33% of men were aged 45-54 and 25% aged 25-34. These age groups are more upset by their partners than any other.

Being on your phone is the 3rd biggest stress for Brits

This is backed up by the result that 17% of respondents chose screen time as their biggest stress, with 12% of those being male. That means that more women than men are annoying their partners by being on their phone too much. This could be down to women messaging friends from their holiday, posting snaps on social media or phoning home, all more often than men.

The biggest stress on a couple’s holiday…

The top seven are:

Travelling – 23%

Packing – 21%

Other people always on their phones – 17%

Organisation – 14%

Partner – 13%

Activities and eating out – 7%

Family and friends – 5%

The good news is that the biggest stress for Brits when going on holiday is either packing (21%) or travelling (23%). Organisation was at 14%. So the actual holiday itself is far less stressful.

More men than women found packing and travelling stressful, (25% compared to 19%) but it was women who found the organisation more irksome.

49% were less intimate on their first couple’s holiday

There’s nothing like sun, sea and sand to get you in the mood… Or, so we thought. The myth surrounding first holidays with your partner and sex is just that, a myth. 49% of the people surveyed admitted that they weren’t intimate on their first couple’s getaway, instead choosing to focus on improving their relationship.

In fact, 56% of people who chose not to have sex on their first holiday said that their trip away strengthened their relationship.

63% said their first holiday strengthened their relationship

While we might be having less sex on our first holiday with our partners, the novelty, excitement and freedom of the break is benefiting our relationships. Overwhelmingly, 63% said that holidaying with their other half improved their relationship, with 85% also stating that they wouldn’t change the duration of their trip.

Sarah Louise Ryan, a relationship expert, radio presenter and dating writer, believes that travel allows you to see the real side of your partner: “A good way to tell if the person you are dating is a potential long-term partner is to spend a condensed amount of time with one another, just the two of you, away from the typical day to day goings on and your normal circumstances. You learn about each other’s flaws when away, and you can make a decision about whether you can accept them and if they, in turn, can accept your flaws.”

When does the UK public think you should go away?

According to our findings, 39% of the adults surveyed waited more than a year before taking the plunge on their first holiday with their partner, with 83% also believing that their break was the perfect length of time.

On the other hand, 24% took their first holiday with their partner within the first three months. There’s clearly no better way to get to know someone than travelling with them, with 76% of those going away before three months stating that going on holiday early is great for strengthening your relationship.

Sarah Louise, who has worked extensively with many couples, also agrees: “My policy in life is to fail faster so you can learn faster and that’s the same with your romantic life, so take the holiday plunge. Learn your romantic lessons quickly so you can connect fully with your partner or, if it’s not quite right, move on sooner.”

Sarah goes on to say: “Getting away from it all has lots of plus points; understanding how you both deal with the essentials of organisation, finances, coordination, how you communicate along the way, understand different cultures and what you both like to learn about and are personally interested in.”

38% said their first holiday was in the UK

UK breaks are, not only ideal for those that are still in the ‘honeymoon period’, but are the holiday of choice for many Brits. ABTA’s latest 2018 report shows more people are choosing to stay in the UK rather than head abroad, with the city break the holiday of choice for 48% of those surveyed.

Lisbon, Amsterdam and Budapest and UK cities are becoming increasingly popular – especially due to the range of activities and nightlife available for a new couple. If anything, these activities can, ultimately, break the ice and even act as a talking point if you have run out of topics…

The fully-committed go ‘Luxury’

According to the survey, those who waited a year or more before taking their first holiday were more likely to choose a luxury, all-inclusive resort – staying an average of two weeks or more.

The Maldives, Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia are some of the more popular spots for couples looking to indulge in a little luxury. Coincidentally, these destinations are also in the top 10 most Instagrammed honeymoon destinations of the past year. Mexico, in particular, consistently pulls in the honeymooners, listed as one of the world’s best honeymoon spots.

How long did you wait before going on holiday with your SO? Me and Les jetted off to Lake Como and Milan in November 2013 after just 3 months of dating. We spent 7 days between the two and are still together (and married) 5 and a half years later.

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Hi, I'm Suz. I love travelling (obvs..), dogs, shoes and wine, although not necessarily in that order. I'm originally from Scotland, but now live in Snowdonia in North Wales with my husband and a seriously large shoe collection.